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Friday, 5 December 2014

Guest Blogger ~ Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy

Christmas has always been a magical time
for me. When I was growing up in St. Joseph, Missouri, the elements for the
stereotypical holiday were present, snow on the ground, a sweet smelling
Douglas Fir decked with tinsel and pretties, holly on the mantelpiece, and
family filling the house. The sounds of the season were always important to me,
too, from the carols we learned at school or heard in church, the ringing bells
from churches downtown, or the occasional caroler. I’ve always wanted to write
Christmas fiction and I now have two works to offer, both published this year. The
longer work is a love story and it takes place from one holiday season to the
next. Events in between threaten the happiness and future of newlyweds Johnny
and Jessica. The title, Tidings of Comfort and Joy, comes from one of my
favorite carols, the traditional God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.

The second is a short work but it too pays
homage to the English Christmas traditions. Charles Dickens’ classic tale, A
Christmas Carol, captured my fancy as a child and I enjoy watching the many
film versions of the story, from my favorite starring Patrick Stewart as
Scrooge to the 1940’s versions and even one with Henry Winkler. The Courtship
of Ebenezer Scrooge is not just a Christmas tale, however, it’s also a sweet
romance.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays from my
home and heart to yours!

Btw, I live just east of Oklahoma in far
southwestern Missouri and in the second of the two Christmas stories, Tidings
of Comfort and Joy, my hero has an Oklahoma twang!

Ebenezer Scrooge changed for the better
after three Christmas ghosts impacted his life and heart. His miserly ways
vanished as he gained happiness and his family ties with nephew Fred have
improved. There’s something missing, however, and when Ebenezer meets Widow
Abigail Collins, he realizes what he lacks. He sets out to court Abigail,
object marriage and learns the many ways love can further improve his disposition
and life!

Short
excerpt:

He watched her descend the
steps with graceful movements, her bell-shaped skirts swirling in a way he
found appealing. Ebenezer caught a brief glimpse of her many petticoats and hid
a sly grin. He’d seen a flash of her ankles too and liked it. Before his wicked
imagination could get the best of him, he stepped forward, top hat in his hand.

They met during the holiday season and
married in May. Jessica savored every moment of happiness with her beloved
husband Johnny but their newlywed bliss is shattered when he’s caught in a
storm on the lake on the Fourth of July. First missing, then presumed dead,
Johnny Devereaux appears to be gone and everyone mourns him except his wife. Jessica
refuses to believe he could be dead and she steadfastly refuses to give up hope
that he is alive and will return.

As the months pass, each holiday is another
reminder of his absence and it becomes harder to believe but she refuses to
yield to despair. As his family, especially his brother Tad, struggles to
accept Johnny’s death, only his great-grandmother and bride hang onto their
hope. Jessica comes to believe he’ll return to her at Christmas so the holiday
takes on new significance as she waits for tidings of comfort and joy.

Excerpt:

That first time he came to her
old apartment, Jessica had her Christmas decorations out. That slender but
elegant tree she'd had since college stood against one wall, decked with all
the beautiful and unique ornaments she'd collected. Each one had a special
meaning, a memory of someone or something. Twinkling little multi-colored
lights framed the mirror on the wall, and a silk bouquet of poinsettias graced
her tiny dining table. Five or six Christmas cards hung from a ribbon she put
up beside the door, and even to her jaded eyes, it felt festive. The scent of
evergreen and holly berry potpourri wafted from a crystal bowl beside the lamp.
Even that plastic Santa figure her grandmother bought her when she was about
six stood in a place of honor.

She waited, wondering what he
might say. In the past, men she dated called it "cute," or "too
much," or even labeled it some way that ended up sarcastic. Johnny, still
wearing that black-and-red plaid hunting coat, stood looking at it with wonder,
and then he smiled.

"It gives me the Christmas
spirit just looking at it," he said in that countrified voice she
loved so much. "It's pretty, honey, almost as beautiful as you."

Delight as light as champagne
bubbles rushed over her. "There's one thing I think you missed."

"What's that?" he
asked, looking around, and she pointed up to where she'd hung a little bough of
mistletoe, tied with a red bow. He grinned. "Oh, that. Even a country boy
like me knows what to do under the mistletoe."

She touched his lips with one
finger. "Then do it."

Johnny nestled her against him
tightly and, soft as a snowflake, touched his lips to hers. Their lips devoured
with yearning, not greed. His kiss became the flame for her inner candle, the
trimming for her tree, and the joy of the season wove around them like a
benediction, cozy as a flannel blanket on a cold winter's night and as lasting
as the stars that spangled the winter night.

Author
Bio:

Growing up in historic St. Joseph,
Missouri, Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy scribbled her stories from an early age. Her
first publication—a poem on the children’s page of the local newspaper –
seems to have set her fate. As a full time author, she has more than two dozen
full length novels published along with assorted novellas and short fiction.
Her publishers include Astraea Press. A contributor to more than two dozen
anthologies, her credits include Chicken Soup For The Soul among many
collections of short fiction. She is a member of Romance Writers of America,
Missouri Writers Guild, and the Ozark Writers League. Lee Ann earned a Bachelor
of Arts degree from Missouri Southern State University as well as an Associate
Degree from Crowder College. She has worked in broadcasting, retail, and other
fields including education. As a wife and mother of three, she spends her days
penning stories, cooking, reading, and other daily duties. She currently makes
her home in the Missouri Ozarks, living in what passes for suburbs in a small
town and works as a substitute teacher in the local school district.